St Ives in Cornwall is a popular family holiday destination. The
town lies on the West Cornwall Peninsula. It is a vibrant collection
of gift shops, cafes and picturesque holiday cottages, clustered
around a quaint harbour and some of the countries best holiday beaches.
Any visit to the West Country, must include time to experience the
delights of St Ives - a beautiful and unique west coast holiday
resort.

The town itself is a picturesque mix of all the essential
ingredients that go together to create a truly magnificent holiday
destination.

St Ives, developed around the small drying fishing
harbour and headland, known locally as The Island. A maze of narrow
streets and alleyways are located around the harbour, and the crescent
shaped beaches.

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During the spring and summer months the streets
of St Ives are decorated with brightly coloured flower displays.
The floral display, beckon you to wander through them - and discover
their hidden delights and hidden corners.

The "Downalong" is the oldest part
of St Ives. It is a maze of fishermen's cottages and narrow streets.
It was originally built of a sandbank that linked "The Island"
to the Cornish Mainland. The streets and quayside are lined with
cafes, restaurants, galleries and shops.

The Island is a grassy peninsula that separates the
main harbour from the beach at Porthmeor. It was at one time an
Iron Age Promontory Hill Fort- a raised area of headland that still
gives panoramic views of across the bay towards Hayle and along
the coast toward Newquay. The Island is a great place to sit and
relax, taking in the stunning views, or to look around the small
granite St Nicholas's Chapel.

St Ives offers the visitor everything that they could
wish for in a seaside resort. From the moment that you arrive in
the town you are stunned by the panoramic vistas that seem to greet
you on every turn - a great family Holiday destination, with fantastic
beaches a Cornish Holiday that truly has something for everyone.
Families can spend countless hours playing in the golden sands of
the resorts gently sloping beaches, or simply, taking a relaxing
dip in the uncharacteristically warm sea.

Local Weather Reports

St Ives Beach Guide

St Ives has four main holiday beaches, each with
a distinctly different character.

Porthmeor Beach is the main beach in St Ives. It
is a level sandy beach that is ideal for families. Porthmeor is
a favourite with surfers, due to the Atlantic Swell.

Parking in the main St Ives town car parks

Refreshments - restaurant overlooking beach

Toilets

Lifeguard during summer months

No dogs allowed on the beach between Easter and October

Sat Nav: N50º 12' 52.68" W5º 29' 04.05"

There are life guards on duty in the summer months.
Porthmeor has a restaurant on the beach, as well as cafes and Gift
shops in the narrow streets that radiate from it. The Tate gallery
is situated adjacent to Porthmeor.

Surf enthusiasts can chase that elusive wave, along
Porthmeor Beach, whilst those who are seeking somewhat more cerebral
delights, can explore the towns history or experience the art work
on offer in one of St Ives' many galleries.

Porthgwidden Beach

Porthgwidden Beach lies in a small sheltered cove,
tucked between "The Island" and the harbour.

Parking in the main St Ives town car parks

Refreshments and cafes next to the entrance to the beach

Toilets

No dogs allowed on beach between Easter and October

Sat Nav: N50º 13' 01.37" W5º 28' 37.35"

Porthgwidden is a small but popular beach, with a
very good cafe. Excellent for families, with safe bathing.

Harbour Beach

Harbour Beach- The harbour is tidal, exposing a sheltered
beach at low tide.

Parking in the town car parks - Park and ride service

Toilets adjacent to the beach

Refreshments - cafes, bars, restaurants and shops line the main
quay

No dogs allowed on the beach Easter to October

Sat Nav: N50º 12' 54.51" W5º 28' 44.25"

Harbour beach is ideal for families, in a central
location, with the added benefit of all the amenities cafes, etc.
that you need along its western edge.

St Ives Harbour

St Ives still maintains a small fishing industry,
this is nothing to what it was - the town used to be Cornwall's
principal pilchard. The town was shaped by the needs of the local
fishing, mining and farming communities.

The
harbour, is much larger than is needed for today's seafarers. The
size of St Ives harbour reflects the towns past importance as a
fishing port.

During the 19th century, St Ives was the home port
to over 400 pilchard fishing boats. It was also a major industrial
port. St Ives harbour was important the export of stone, tin and
copper from the mines located around the Lands End Peninsula.

The harbour also imported the coal and other materials
needed transport the materials to the harbour and to power the large
beam engines and pumps of the local mines.

Porthminster Beach

Porthminster Beach is the second largest beach in
St Ives. This popular holiday beach, is located to the south of
the harbour and has a north eastern aspect.

Parking in the main town car parks

Toilets

Refreshments and cafes

Lifeguard - main season

No dogs Easter to October

Sat Nav Co-ordinates: N50º 12' 32.70" W5º 28'
39.84"

Porthminster is a safe family beach, that offers
excellent bathing and stunning views along the coast towards Hayle
and the Godreavy Lighthouse.

Porthminster beach has a full range of facilities,
including include a beach café, toilets, beach huts and mini-golf.
During the main season, there is a Lifeguard patrol to ensure your
safety whilst bathing.

Porthminster Cafe an award winning seafood restaurant
on the edge of Porthminster beach by Porthminster Point the Cafe
has stunning sea views with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The Tate Gallery & Barbara Hepworth Museum

St
Ives known for the unique quality of sunlight which attracted many
artists to the area. The town's northern aspect and being almost
completely surround by the sea, gives the light a unique warmth
with an almost Mediterranean quality to it.

Turner, Whistler and Sickert were amongst the earliest
artists to arrive in St Ives, then in 1928 the local primitive artist
Alfred Wallis was discovered by Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood.
Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Naurn Gabo settled in St Ives in
1939.

Following the end of WWII a new younger generation
of artists emerged in St Ives, including Peter Lanyon, Roger Hilton
and Patrick Heron.

The strong and vital artistic tradition that developed
in St Ives, particularly in the field of the abstract avant-garde,
led to the siting of the new Tate Gallery here in 1993.

The award-winning building is a triumph and the gallery
has become one of Cornwall's major attractions, introducing modern
art to an entirely new audience.

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

The Barbara Hepworth Museum is fascinating and includes
a garden featuring many of her sculptures. The museum is located
close to the harbour, a 10 minute walk from Tate St Ives.

Porthminster Gallery

A ground floor gallery situated on ground-floor gallery
is situated on the quayside. Exhibitions of contemporary and modern
fine art in Cornwall. The gallery is in a converted Pilchard warehouse
in Westcott's Quay, St Ives, Cornwall. The gallery displays some
of the best examples of work from leading St Ives and British artists
- mainly modern 20th century works on paper by post-war St Ives
artists, including: Sandra Blow RA; Bryan Pearce; Terry Frost.